Thai Red Curry Chicken with Bamboo Shoots

Name: Thai Red Curry Chicken with Bamboo Shoots
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 lb Chicken thigh meat, boneless and skinless cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 6 tablespoons Thai red curry paste; 4 cups Coconut milk divided; 2 cups Bamboo shoots; 5 Thai long chilies sliced diagonally; 2 cups Thai sweet basil leaves and flower tops; 10 Kaffir lime leaves most with stems torn out, one sliced thin for garnish; 4 teaspoons Coconut sugar; 2 tablespoons Fish sauce to taste; 1 teaspoon Salt to taste

Kaeng Nor Mai Ga Tee

Chicken and bamboo shoots simmered in a smooth, aromatic coconut red curry

Thai Red Curry Chicken with Bamboo Shoots

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min
Serves: 4
Heat: medium

This is a classic Central Thai coconut curry, built by reducing half the coconut milk with red curry paste until it separates and turns glossy, which concentrates the paste's lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime flavors before the chicken and remaining coconut milk go in. Bamboo shoots add a mild, slightly crunchy contrast to the smooth, creamy sauce, and a final few minutes with sliced chili and torn kaffir lime leaf bring the curry to its full aromatic character just before a handful of basil finishes it off, stirred in only once the pan has cooled slightly so the leaves stay vivid rather than wilting completely.

Ingredients

2 lb Chicken thigh meat, boneless and skinless (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
6 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
4 cups Coconut milk (divided)
2 cups Bamboo shoots
5 Thai long chilies (sliced diagonally)
2 cups Thai sweet basil (leaves and flower tops)
10 Kaffir lime leaves (most with stems torn out, one sliced thin for garnish)
4 teaspoons Coconut sugar
2 tablespoons Fish sauce (to taste)
1 teaspoon Salt (to taste)

Directions

Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Divide the coconut milk into two equal portions. Pick the basil leaves and slice the chilies diagonally. Measure out the rest of the ingredients.
Heat half the coconut milk in a wok over low heat until it just barely bubbles. Stir in the red curry paste and cook, reducing, until thick and oily. Stir in the coconut sugar until fully melted.
Add the chicken and stir into the curry mixture. Cook over low-medium heat until the chicken is fully cooked and the pan looks dry and sticky.
Stir in the remaining coconut milk to build the soup base. Add the bamboo shoots and bring back to a boil. Taste — it should be a little sweet, a little spicy, and a little salty. Add fish sauce or salt as needed to balance it.
Add the sliced chili and the torn kaffir lime leaf pieces. Stir well and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the curry cool for a couple of minutes before stirring in the basil.
Serve in bowls, topped with the reserved slivered kaffir lime leaf and a few fresh basil leaves.

Notes

Taste the curry after adding the bamboo shoots but before adjusting salt — the balance of sweet, salty, and spicy should already feel close, since the dish is eaten with plain rice that mellows out any extra saltiness.

Substitutions

Chicken breast can be used in place of thigh meat, though thigh stays juicier through the cooking process. A homemade red curry paste adds more complexity, but a good packaged one works well too.